International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, Vol. 2, No.

5, October 2013

Proposed Solution of e-Waste Management

Shagun, Ashwani Kush, and Anupam Arora

AbstractElectronic waste may be defined as discarded

computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device
electronics, mobile phones, television sets and refrigerators.
This definition includes used electronics which are destined for
reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal. Because loads of
surplus electronics are frequently commingled (good, recyclable,
and non-recyclable), several public policy advocates apply the
term "e-waste" broadly to all surplus electronics. Rapid
changes in technology, changes in media (tapes, software, MP3),
falling prices, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a
fast-growing surplus of electronic waste around the globe. This
paper presents an overview of the problem and suggests some
concrete solutions to tackle the issue.
Index TermsE-waste, media, electronics, computer.

I. INTRODUCTION
E-waste is a popular informal name for electronic
products nearing the end of their useful life. Anything that
runs on electricity/battery or has wire and completed its life is
e-waste [1] [2]. Electronic waste may be defined as discarded
computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device
electronics, mobile phones, television sets and refrigerators.
e-wastes are considered dangerous, as certain components of
some electronic products contain materials that are hazardous,
depending on their condition and density. The hazardous
content of these materials pose a threat to human health and
environment.
Discarded computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers,
fax machines, electric lamps, cell phones, audio equipment
and batteries if improperly disposed can leach lead and other
substances into soil and groundwater.
Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (W.E.E.E) [3] [4] describes discarded
electrical or electronic devices. There is a lack of consensus
as to whether the term should apply to resale, reuse, and
refurbishing industries, or only to product that cannot be used
for its intended purpose. Informal processing of electronic
waste in developing countries may cause serious health and
pollution problems, though these countries are also most

likely to reuse and repair electronics. Some of categories

include: Mobile Phones, Computers, ,Servers, Telecom, TV,
Calculators, Audio, Scanners, Printers, Air Conditioner,
Microwave, Washing Machine, Cartridges, Military
electronic, Mother board, Alarm, Sirens, Automobile
Catalytic Converter, Sensor, CD, Security Device etc.
Industrial revolution followed by the advances in
information technology during the last century has radically
changed people's lifestyle. Although this development has
helped the human race, mismanagement has led to new
problems of contamination and pollution. The technical
prowess acquired during the last century has posed a new
challenge in the management of wastes. For example,
personal computers (PCs) contain certain components, which
are highly toxic, such as chlorinated and brominated
substances, toxic gases, toxic metals, biologically active
materials, acids, plastics and plastic additives. The hazardous
contents [5] [6] of these materials pose an environmental and
health threat. Thus proper management is necessary while
disposing or recycling e-wastes. The paper highlights these
issues and pose some concrete suggestions.

II. RECENT STUDIES

Debate continues over the distinction between
"commodity" and "waste" electronics definitions. Some
exporters
are
accused
of
deliberately
leaving
difficult-to-recycle, obsolete, or non-repairable equipment
mixed in loads of working equipment. Protectionists may
broaden the definition of "waste" electronics in order to
protect domestic markets from working secondary equipment.
The high value of the computer recycling subset of electronic
waste can help pay the cost of transportation for a larger
number of worthless pieces than can be achieved with display
devices, which have less scrap value. In A 2011 report,
"Ghana E-Waste Country Assessment", found that of
215,000 tons of electronics imported to Ghana, 30% were
brand new and 70% were used. Of the used product, the study
concluded that 15% was not reused and was scrapped or
discarded.
1)

USA discards 30 million computers each year and 100

million phones are disposed of in Europe each year [5]
2) The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that
only 15-20% of e-waste is recycled, the rest of these
electronics go directly into landfills and incinerators
[5]
3) An estimated 50 million tons of E-waste are produced
each year. [6] [7]
4) The United States is the world leader in producing
electronic waste, tossing away about 3 million tons
each year [8]

Manuscript received February 9, 2013; revised March 19, 2013. The

paper is joint work of NIT Kurukshetra and Kurukshetra University
Kurukshetra India.
Shagun is with the National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra India.
She is student of B.Tech in computer engineering. (e-mail: shagun_kush@
yahoo.in).
Ashwani Kush is with in computer science at university college
Kurukshetra University India. He is actively involved in research and has
more than 90 research papers to his credit. He is member of IACSIT (e-mail:
akush20@gmail.com, akush@kuk.ac.in).
Anupam Arora is with in Physics and is actively involved in e-waste
product management. He has done Ph.D from Kururkshetra University India
and has been working for more than 20 years (e-mail:
anupamhead@gmail.com).

DOI: 10.7763/IJFCC.2013.V2.212

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International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, Vol. 2, No. 5, October 2013

5) China already produces about 2.3 million tons (2010

estimate) domestically, second only to the United
States [9] [10].
6) Legal framework, proper collection system missing.
7) Imports regularly coming to the recycling markets.

2) Weak environmental laws

3) Excess dumping of CRT tubes due to the ramp
walk of flat screen monitors
4) Driven by the potential for corporate profits
TABLE I: EFFECTS OF E-WASTE CONSTITUENT ON HEALTH
Source of e-wastes Constituent
Health effects

III. INDIAN SCENARIO

Solder in printed
circuit boards, glass
Lead (PB)
panels and gaskets in
computer monitors

IT and telecom are two fastest growing industries in the

country. India, by 2011, has achieved a PC penetration of 95
per 1000 from the 14 per 1000 in 2008. At present, India has
95 million one of the most threatening substances is lead, of
which only 5 percent is recycled in India [11]. Indians will
not junk their mobiles, but pass them on to a new low-end
user who will, in turn, junk them in the flea market from
where the instruments make their way to the Kabadiwallas.
Major issues related to Indian scenario are:

Chip resistors and

semiconductors

India's hospitals to see patients with 10 times the

expected level of lead in their blood
In India, a water sample revealed levels of lead 190 times
as high as the drinking water standard set by the World
Health Organization.
Thousands of children throughout the India are attending
schools that were built on or near toxic waste sites, with
increased risk of developing asthma, cancer, learning
disorders and other diseases linked to environmental
pollutants.
1-20 kg per person/p.a and growing at 3 times faster than
the municipal waste
Over 200 million current mobile users
Preliminary estimates suggest that total WEEE
generation in India is approximately 1,46,000 tonnes per
year.
20 million electronic household appliances including TV,
washing machines, PCs etc) and 70 million cell phones
reach end-of-life every year . Memory devices, MP3
players, iPods, ipads etc. are the newer additions.
About 70% of the heavy metals (mercury and cadmium)
and 40% lead, in landfills in India come from e-waste
22% of the yearly world consumption of mercury is used
in electronics manufacture
More of acid content flow into the land contaminating
the soil and land value.
About 70 percent, of heavy metals in India landfills
comes from E-Waste.
Worlds 80% population live in areas of cell phone
reception
Indians upgrade or exchange their cell phones every 18
months, meaning there are approximately 16 million
unused mobile phones stashed away at home or in the
office
Average working life of a mobile phone is 7 years but
worldwide the average consumer changes their mobile
every 11 months.
E-waste is exported to India because of major reasons as:

Cadmium (CD)

Relays and switches,

printed circuit
Mercury (Hg)
boards
Corrosion protection
of untreated and
Hexavalent
galvanized steel
chromium (Cr)
plates, hardner for VI
steel housings

Damage to central and

peripheral nervous systems,
blood systems and kidney
damage.

Affects brain development of

children.

Toxic irreversible effects on

human health.

Accumulates in kidney and

liver.

Causes neural damage.

Teratogenic.
Chronic damage to the brain.
Respiratory and skin
disorders due to
bioaccumulation in fishes.
Asthmatic bronchitis.
DNA damage.

Burning produces dioxin. It causes

Cabling and
computer housing

Plastic housing of
electronic
equipments and
circuit boards.

Plastics
including PVC

Reproductive and
developmental problems;

Immune system damage;

Brominated
flame retardants
(BFR)

Interfere with regulatory

hormones

Disrupts endocrine
system functions

Short term exposure causes:

Front panel of CRTs Barium (Ba)

Motherboard

Beryllium (Be)

Av PC of Appx
31 kg wt contains
7.24 kg
1.98 Kg
0.693 g
0.4095 g
2.961 g
1.98 g
9.92 g
4.94 g

Plastics
Lead
Mercur
y
Arseni
c
Cadmi
um
Chromi
um
Barium
Berylli
um

Muscle weakness;
Damage to heart, liver and
spleen.

Carcinogenic (lung cancer)

Skin diseases such as warts.

Two million obsolete Pcs
would mean
14,427,000 kg
3.962,700 kg

Inhalation of fumes and dust.

Causes chronic beryllium
disease or beryllicosis.

1,386 kg
819 kg
5,922 kg
3,969 kg
19,845 kg
9, 891 kg

IV. E-WASTE HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

1) Cheap labour : rates are approximately

US
- $ 30/ computer
India - $ 2/ computer
Saving - $ 28/ computer

E-waste is very valuable as it (a) recover precious metals

(b) recover plastic etc. Three categories of WEEE account for
almost 90% of the generation:
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International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, Vol. 2, No. 5, October 2013

Large Household appliances:

Information and communications:
Technology equipment
Consumer Electronics:

42.1%
33.9%

13.7%

Inhalation of open fire emissions can trigger asthma

attacks, respiratory infections, and cause other problems such
as coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and eye irritation [12].
Example: burning PVC releases hydrogen chloride, which on
inhalation mixes with water in the lungs to form hydrochloric
acid. This can lead to corrosion of the lung tissues, and
several respiratory complications. Table I gives a view of
e-waste health hazardous.

The Key Players in e-waste are 1) Consumers as in (a)

Office and (b) Domestic, 2) Scrap Dealers and 3) Recyclers
Existing Laws are:
Trans boundary movement of e-waste covered
under the Basel convention.
India ratified the convention in 1992.
Waste importers exploit such gaps as listed in the
convention.
Allowed to import against a license.
Covered under the Hazardous Waste Amended
Rules, 2003 in List A and B of Schedule 3. [6]
The Rule is inadequate to handle generation,
transportation and disposal of this complex waste
Regulators unable to monitor and regulate the
informal sector.

Over 1,000 parts requests per day via internet parts

exchange www10.tradeloop.com

Contact with over 200 international repair shops via

www.exporters.com.sg,www.alibaba.com,
www.globalrecycle.net, www.recycle.net, etc.
www.exporters.com/sg

Sales of parts and refurbishment on ebay.com ,

www.ebay.com

Scrap copper, alum, plastic sold directly to end

users www.globalrecycle.net
Also some more points that can be considered while
buying electronic products are:

Proposed solutions can be:

Disposal fee from manufacturers and consumers

Some organizations already helping the cause are:

www.mineralpolicy.org, www.mpi.org.au,
www.USGS.gov, www.moles.org, www.ban.org,
www.copper.org, www.antigraymarket.org, other links
www.retroworks.com

V. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

To make recycling business viable one

Government should encroach legal import of
e-waste
Should subsidize recyling and disposal industry
Incentive schemes for garbage collectors, general
public

are made with fewer toxic constituents

use recycled content
are energy efficient
are designed for easy upgrading or disassembly
utilize minimal packaging
offer leasing or take back options

which have been certified by regulatory authorities.

Customers should opt for upgrading their computers or other
electronic items to the latest versions rather than buying new
equipments.

Ban on total imports of e- waste.

Domestic legal framework to address these gaps in
import of E Waste
Need to address safe disposal of domestic waste.
Tie recycling in with take-back product
The Framework should address the issue of E waste
imports for reuse and recycling.
Attract investment in this sector
Link up activities of informal sector with formal
sector
Provide for appropriate framework for processes
Promote adequate ESM technologies for recycling
Incorporate precautionary principles and polluter
pays
Adopt Consultative process
Picked over Junk, Obsolete and burnt
Insist on domestic processing
Then make sure the company you select has
capacity to handle either type of E-Scrap.
Promote recycling units to ease process and to
encourage generators to have proper e-waste
disposal
Impart training to generators on e-waste handling
Awareness program on recycling
Fix duties and responsibilities to recyclers
Tax incentives for scrap dealers
Reward and reprimand schemes for performance
and non-compliance of e-waste management

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]

[5]
[6]
[7]

[8]
[9]

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International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, Vol. 2, No. 5, October 2013
[10] CBC
News.
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http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/23745/thenational/archive/ewaste-102208.w
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[11] CII, E-waste management, Green Business Opportunities, vol. 12,
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2007, pp. 657-666.

15 books in computer science for undergraduate and school students. He has

more than 20 years of teaching experience.
Dr. Ashwani Kush is professional Member of ACM, IEEE, SCRA, CSI
INDIA and IACSIT Singapore, IAENG Hon Kong. His research interests are
in Mobile Ad hoc Networks, E-Governance and Security. Dr. Kush has
chaired many sessions in International Conferences in USA and Singapore.
He is also on the panel of eminent resource persons in Computer Science for
EDUSAT project, Department of Higher Education, Government of
Haryana.

Shagun is currently pursuing B. Tech in computer

engineering at National institute of technology
Kurukshera India.
She has keen interest in e-waste product management,
data structure and algorithms. She has strong passion for
research and development.
She is member of computer society of India.

Anupam Arora is the principal and an associate Professor in Physics. He

has an extensive teaching and research experience for more than 15 years.
His areas of interest are e-waste management, high energy devices. He has
authored two books for undergraduate students. Dr Anupam is member of
Physics society of India.

Ashwani Kush is employed as Head and Associate

Professor in Department of Computer Science
University
College,
Kurukshetra
University,
Kurukshetra India. He has done Ph.D. in Computer
Sciencee in association with Indian Institute of
Technology Kanpur, India and Kurukshetra University,
Kurukshetra, India.
He has more than 90 research papers to his credit in
various International/National Journals and Conferences. He has authored

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